Endurance
by VanityBlue
Summary: Trouble Kelp's a show off in Holly's eyes. She's never taken the time to get to know him, but when the two are working together on an Endurance Challenge, fate forces them to unite. Will Holly ever learn to love Captain Kelp? Only time will tell.
1. Chapter 1

Endurance

Chapter One

Disclaimer: I do not own any Artemis Fowl related character or object in this story.

A/N: This is a re-write of the original fic. I re-read the other day, when I was browsing through my folders, and realised how badly written it was. Well here is the first chapter of the new improved version.

* * *

Introduction

It was just a typical day in Police Plaza for Captain Holly Short. Little did she know, that in a few hours time, she would yanked from her daily routine, and plonked down in the middle of nowhere, on a training exercise. I guess if she had known, she wouldn't have entered the Commander's office when he called to her, and would've carried on strolling down the corridor pretending to be momentarily deaf. However she wasn't psychic, and this is the story that fanned out form that short, rather one sided conversation with the commander.

* * *

Police Plaza, Haven City

"Short, get in here," yelled a rather maroon faced Commander Root, through the open door of his office.

Holly was jerked out of her daydream and back to the real world. She stuck her head around the door.

"Yes sir?" she answered, wondering and worrying about what she could have done wrong now. The only reaction she received was a beckoning wave of his hand. Groaning inwardly, she stepped into the office, and let the door hiss shut behind her.

"Yes sir, you wanted to see me," She stated, rather pointlessly.

"Yes, Short I did. The council have decided we're due an E.C." Root said, pausing expectantly.

"An E.C?" Holly questioned. Her mind drawing a blank when she tried to conjure up a definition of E.C. Emergency Coffee break perhaps? But maybe then it would be an E.C.B.

"Yes, Captain, an E.C." Root spoke slowly as if he was talking to a child. "An Endurance Challenge. You know, when a group of officers, chosen by me, renew their training. I seem to remember you went on one two years back. Am I right?" Root replied, answering Holly's query with another question.

Holly scanned her memory "Oh yes!" she said, trying to cover up the fact that she had no idea what her commander was talking about.

Root groaned, "You're a useless liar, Short." He let a small smile play around his lips. Holly gave a small grin. She was obviously worse at acting than she'd previously thought, but at least the commander didn't seem too bothered. Oops, she was wrong again.

Root's newly found supply of patience ran out. "WHY ARE YOU STILL HERE SHORT? GO PACK." He stopped mid flow, and took a deep breath, trying to compose himself. After all, his doctor had said that all the shouting was not good for his health. The last thing he wanted was to be driven into an early grave because of his job. After all, what was the point? He wouldn't be around to collect the compensation.

Anyway, his little outburst had two major side effects; Firstly Holly jumped to attention, not even questioning her commander on why she in particular was being sent to her doom! She knew the answer anyway, because she was a girl. And secondly, the floor shook as if a minor earthquake was rippling through Haven.

Holly turned to leave,

"Oh Hol-I mean Captain, send in Chix Verbil, he's been selected to go with you," Root called after Holly, in a slightly calmer tone.

Holly groaned inwardly, for the second time in as many minutes, Chix Verbil. Great. Aloud she said a gloomy "Yes sir," and left the room. She was so mad she almost walked straight into Trouble as she turned the corner.

"Watch it, Captain!" said a surprised Captain Kelp as Holly walked into him, almost knocking him flying.

"Sorry, I had something on my mind." Holly said, truthfully.

"So I see," replied Trouble, raising his eyebrows in a friendly way. He knocked on the commanders door, and entered without waiting for permission.

Holly rolled her eyes at the now closed door. Why did Retrieval get special treatment? It wasn't fair. She got worse treatment than the other Recon officers as it was, just because she was female. "Pompous Git." She muttered under her breath. She wasn't one of Trouble's many adoring female fans, who were, in Holly's eyes; incredibly stupid and very shallow. They only saw the public face of Trouble, a mere mask on his real personality. In Holly's opinion, he was an arrogant show off, like many other retrieval officers.

She turned back to the situation in hand, her search for Chix Verbil.

She eventually found him by the coffee machine, taking one of his regular breaks.

"Hey Holls!" He said when he spotted her. Grrrr, another thing she couldn't stand, anyone shortening her name. It irritated her to no end.

"It's Captain Short to you, Private." Holly stated, then began relaying Root's message, using much shorter, sharper words than her superior.

* * *

Holly's apartment, Haven City

Holly had arrived back at her apartment later that evening to find a rather blunt message on her answer machine. It was from the commander. He obviously didn't trust her:

"Short, you'll be leaving tomorrow night. _Promptly_ at 9:30, we will send a vehicle to pick you up. Be ready!"

She didn't like the way he emphasised the word 'promptly'. It wasn't as if she was always late. She got sidetracked sometimes. It wasn't what you could call lateness exactly.

* * *

A/N: I don't know how many people out there have decided to re-write a fic. It is unbelievably tiring hard work. And I never even finished this fic! Oh well, things can only better! Let me know what you think. 


	2. Chapter 2

Endurance 

Chapter two

Disclaimer: I do not own any Artemis Fowl related thing in this fic OK?

A/N: Just a note to say, this is NOT based on any TV show, it is entirely my own work (except for the characters and setting etc, they belong to Colfer), and if this is based on anything, it's a holiday I went on with my mum, Jane, Robert and Claire. Rock on people! 

* * *

Holly's apartment

Holly awoke to the sound of a horn blaring. She sat up and rubbed her eyes with the back of her hand. Then it clicked.

The vehicle. Endurance Challenge thing. 9:30. She looked at the moonometer on her table and groaned. 9:32. She was late.

"D'arvit!" she swore.

Root had been right to suspect it. She lost no time musing, and leapt off her futon, throwing on her nearest item of clothing. One of her swimsuits. Not a good idea, she told herself. Wasting even more time, she changed, grabbed her case and left the apartment, pausing briefly to swipe the lock with her security card.

It was then she noticed who was seated in the driving seat of the car. Captain Trouble Kelp, in all his glory. Wearing, a short sleeved black shirt, and black tinted glasses balanced on the top of his blonde head. What a poser.

"Captain get in, you're late."

As Trouble stated the obvious, Holly walked around to the side of the jeep and got in. She could've sworn she'd heard Trouble mutter some snide comment about her lateness, but she pretended not to care. Well she didn't care. Why would she let some jumped up Retrieval jock bother her? She wouldn't.

As she pulled the door shut, the electronic safety seat-belt system clicked into place. It was one of Foaly's fail safe inventions. Well, it had never failed yet…

A thought occurred to her while Trouble was driving to Chix's apartment. Why was Trouble here at all? After all, wasn't he supposed to be the Lep's finest? The icing on the cake? The… Her train of thought was interrupted by the arrival of Chix. He was on time, which only irritated Holly more.

"Hey Trouble!" He greeted the Captain as he climbed up into the seat next to Holly. "Hey gorgeous. Isn't it great that fate has thrown us together like this?" He positively batted his eyelashes at the female officer.

She glared back. "Please keep you're personal opinions to yourself, because I for one, am not interested in what you think off me. Got that? And it wasn't fate that forced us together, it was Root. You are not my type. Deal with it."

Trouble smirked to himself. He caught Holly's eye in the rear-view mirror. He raised an eyebrow, she rolled her eyes. That was a first. She rarely communicated with Trouble without an argument. This moment should be treasured. Tara Shuttle Port, Haven City 

Trouble expertly parked the jeep in a practically non existent parking space. The minute the car was stationary, the seat belts released, and the three fairies left the car. Trouble locked it with a flick of his wrist. Holly had no idea how he could be so, so _perfect. _Not perfect in a good way, but perfect in a way nothing he did was ever wrong. It was infuriating.

Holly was not pleased to see Commandment Terryl at the entrance to the shuttle port. She'd had dealings with him before. It wasn't pleasant.

The queue for visa collection was longer than Holly had ever seen it, but then again, it was the rush hour. Fairies tended to get the urge to travel at a very similar time.

As it was, she was stuck in between Trouble, and Chix. Getting uncomfortably close to both of them.

There had been an incident when Holly had stood in front of Chix, and Chix in front of Trouble, but Trouble kept catching Chix attempting to grope the female Captain, and insisted Holly switched places with Chix.

As they neared the front of the queue, Holly could pick out Commandment Terryl's irritating tone above the rest of the chatter in the port entrance.

"Move along! How am I meant to issue you visas if you're standing in my way?" he carried on complaining until he reached Holly. "Ahh. It's the crazy, girly captain, is it? Going on a nice little holiday are we?" He said testing Holly to the limit. He soon stopped when he noticed the stony glare she was giving him.

When they'd all passed through customs and boarded the shuttle, Holly paid some attention to fairies around her.

One had shiny blonde hair and looked like a mini Lili Frond. Another was a rather red faced dwarf. This surprised Holly because dwarves don't make very good L.E.P officers. She decided he must be a trainee, like many others who came on these camps.

Chix Verbil rudely interrupted her thoughts. He was asking her if the seat next to her was free. Holly said a hasty "No!" she had been forced to sit next to Chix in shuttles before. He always seemed to be travelsick. A disappointed Chix wandered off and Holly's peace was restored. Until Captain Kelp sat next to her, that was.

Holly was not pleased. Why couldn't Trouble just leave her alone? He knew she wasn't one of his adoring fans, so why was he sticking to like glue? Or was she just being paranoid? Probably.

Quarter of an hour into the journey, and Holly had had enough of the silence. She decided to ask Trouble just why he'd come on this Endurance Course. Was he not quite as good as he made out he was.

"Trouble,"

He turned to face her, raising his eyebrows inquiringly, "Uh huh."

"Why are you here? Surely you don't need to renew your training."

Trouble flicked a lock of blond hair from his eyes, "Well neither do you, Short. But I'm not here to renew my training. I'm here to offer my support as a team leader. Root shouldered me into it, the other day."

"Oh." Holly was secretly disappointed. She wouldn't have minded if Trouble was in the same boat as her, but, as usual, he was superior to her. "I guess it'll be a nice break from your screaming fans." She said, her voice layered with sarcasm.

"Very funny, I'm sure. I can't help being a celebrity face of the LEP."

Holly glowered at him, although she knew he was winding her up.

"You're not to unknown yourself, you know. Being the only female in the squad. You should be proud."

Holly hadn't thought of it like that. "I guess. But I don't have a host of fans. I have Chix. It's not quite the same is it?"

Well, Trouble thought, when you put it like that, she had a point.

* * *

A/N: Well what do you think? Is it an improvement? Give me your comments in your reviews.

Keep Smiling.


	3. Chapter 3

Endurance

Chapter three

Disclaimer: I do not own any Artemis Fowl related character / object. They belong to Eoin Colfer.

* * *

Tara Shuttle Port, Ireland

"Kelp, Trouble?" Called the rather large and very bossy gnome who was ordering everyone around. He was standing on a block, apparently to give him much needed authority, and reading from a long list.

Trouble raised his hand, "Here."

The gnome gestured to an empty space in the corner of the lounge. "Group four team leader."

Someone wolf whistled as Trouble walked to the corner he'd been allocated. He raised his eyebrows in response.

"Pearl, Fern…?"

Holly was only really listening with one ear, she was wondering what this week had in store. Surely it couldn't be that bad?

"And now," announced the gnome, "The Recon Officers." He shuffled his lists importantly.

"Short, Holly?" The gnome called, looking up from the paper. The silence drifted across the lounge. Everyone stopped chattering. Things like, "Holly Short? Is she here?" echoed around the hall. Everyone knew Holly Short.

Holly raised her hand, "Here."

The gnome nodded, and consulted his list. "Group Four." He motioned her towards Trouble.

Holly groaned inwardly as she walked to the corner, ignoring the comments. Why did she have to get stuck with Trouble?

Group four consisted of Trouble; who was reading a sheet of paper, and two strangers Holly had never seen before. A female, petite, blond pixie and a tall slender male imp.

Apparently the groups were supposed to be small, as no one else joined them. Holly gave a sigh of relief; even if she had to put up with Trouble, she was finally free of Chix Verbil. She was about to say something to her companions, when Trouble pocketed his sheet of paper and led group four, outside to collect their transport.

It was a rather similar jeep to the one Holly had been in that morning, except, this one had blacked out windows.

Holly got into the front passenger seat, the other two in the back, and Trouble in the driving seat. They were on their way.

* * *

Group four arrived at their destination two hours later.

The resort seemed luxurious enough. Well, for something funded on government gold anyway. Trouble navigated the jeep around the site, while Holly directed him, using the map they'd collected from reception, when they signed in.

"Next left, and we're there." Holly said, looking up from the map. Trouble pulled up outside a block of white stone apartments. Each one seemed to be identical.

"Right, we're number 4." As the safety belts clicked open, they exited the vehicle. Trouble went around to the back of the car, and opened the boot, exposing four lightweight cases. He lifted them from the car with apparent ease, and lined them up on the gravel floor. He tossed the apartment keys to Holly.

"Go open the door, Short. I'll bring your case."

"I'm quite capable of carrying my own case." She said, "Save the charm for your new-found admirer," she added in a hushed voice. She flicked her head in the direction of the pixie. Before Trouble could comment, she went to open the door.

* * *

Holly dropped her case onto the bed, and pulled out a pair of cream combat trousers and a short black T-shirt. After wearing her jeans for countless hours travelling, she was sure they'd shrunk, and thought it was best to change while it was still possible to take them off.

She was just putting the dirty clothes into a compartment in her case, when the pixie, whose name was Sapphire, Holly had found out, walked into the room.

"I'm Sapphire," she said, heaving her own case onto the opposite bed.

"Holly Short."

"Oh, you're the first female Recon officer, right?" Sapphire took a hairbrush from her case, and proceeded to brush her blond hair back into a ponytail.

Holly shoved her case, still full of clothes, under her bed. "Yep."

"So if you're in the Lep, do you know Trouble, the team leader?" Sapphire flicked her ponytail.

"Uh huh, so do you fancy your chances with him?"

Sapphire blushed, "Maybe."

"Well you and all his other adoring fans."

A frown creased Sapphire's forehead. "Does he have a girlfriend then?"

Holly shrugged, "I doubt any girl would want anything to do with him if they actually found out what he's really like." She sat cross-legged on the end of her bed, facing Sapphire.

"Why," enquired Sapphire, "What is he like?"

Holly grinned, "Do you really want to know!" She paused, "Well he's…" She was interrupted, by Trouble himself, who stuck his head around the door.

"I've fixed up an antidote for the time lag; it's in the kitchen when you're ready for some."

Trouble shut the door, leaving Holly and Sapphire to their conversations. Sapphire burst out laughing. "D'you think he heard?"

Holly shrugged again, "No idea, but he knows I don't like him anyway."

Sapphire looked astonished. "Don't you think he's good looking?"

Holly shook her head, "When you've been working with him like I have, his true personality shines through. He's a slimeball, trust me."

* * *

10 minutes later, Holly sat at the dining table; a grimace plastered to her face as she hurriedly gulped the clear liquid time lag antidote. It tasted awful. But she had to admit that after drinking it, she didn't feel half as tired.

The three of them, Sapphire, The willowy imp by the name of Robert Pride, and Holly, sat around the table chatting quite happily.

Trouble emerged from the kitchen, holding a plate with three pieces of metal on it. He placed it on the table top, "I'm afraid, you can't have your magic this week, so with your consent, I need to remove it." He plucked a piece of metal, which on closer inspection, turned out to be a sterilised tack.

"May I?" He asked Sapphire. She nodded, and he pricked her thumb sharply and held the tack in place. A blue spark wound, lazily down her arm and into her thumb. When the wound wouldn't heal, the sparks came thicker and faster, and then, as Sapphire's magic ebbed, the sparks thinned out, and stopped. Trouble removed the tack and flicked it expertly into the nearest waste bin.

He proceeded to do the same thing to Robert (the thumb tack thing that is, not throw him into the bin).

Holly rolled her eyes across the table at Sapphire, "Bet you enjoyed that!" She muttered, almost to quiet for Sapphire to hear. But she did, and she flicked at Holly with her finger.

"Right Short, you next." Trouble stood next to Holly's chair.

Holly smiled up at him, cheekily. "Suppose I don't consent?"

Trouble rolled his eyes, "You have to be difficult don't you? Well then I'll drive you straight back to Tara, and you can get the first shuttle back to Haven City."

"Ok." Holly made to stand up. "I didn't want to come anyway."

Trouble pushed her back into her seat. "Just give me your hand Holly."

Holly placed her left hand on the table. Trouble gripped it to the surface with his left hand and pricked her thumb with the right.

Holly felt a slightly strange feeling in her chest, like a fluttering. Probably that foul drink taking its toll, she told herself. She shut her eyes as the magic flowed to her thumb, it made her feel dizzy.

She winced as Trouble removed the tack.

"Be a man, Short."

Holly thought this was absolutely ridiculous. She laughed, Sapphire giggled; she was still trying to impress Trouble despite Holly's warning, and Robert grinned.

"Not a good choice of words!" He told Trouble who laughed.

He took Holly's hand in his own and placed his right index finger over Holly's minuscule pinprick. "Heal." He whispered, and a solitary spark disappeared into the cut, sealing the broken skin.

"Now you lot, enough time wasting, get to the pool, I'll be down in five."

* * *

The Indoor Pool, Endurance Complex 

Sapphire sat on the edge of the pool, dangling her legs into the water. Holly and Robert were leaning against the wall,

"I'm gonna push her in!" Robert mouthed at Holly, and began stealthily creeping up behind the pixie. But unbeknownst to him, Sapphire could see exactly what he was doing, in the glass wall on the other side of the pool. Just as Robert leant forward to push her, she moved to the left. Robert over balanced, and toppled into the pool.

Holly laughed, "Good entrance, Pride."

Trouble coughed from the doorway, he raised an eyebrow at the spluttering sight of Robert in the pool. "What are you doing?"

Robert's face went a shade of crimson. "Fell in!"

"Hey Trouble, he'd make a good Beetroot, don't you think?" Holly muttered.

Trouble grinned, "Good one, Holly." He paused, "Now I want 25 lengths out of all of you." He checked a stopwatch. "GO!"

Sapphire jumped smartly into the pool, Robert was already in the pool, and Holly dived in elaborately.

Trouble watched them swimming the crawl. Holly was very pretty. He cursed himself inwardly, where the hell had that come from! However pretty Holly was, and she was pretty, devilishly pretty, they just weren't compatible. Holly hated him, he knew that.

* * *

Apartment Four, Endurance Complex

That night, after they'd eaten, Holly lay awake in her bed, staring out of the window at the stars. They were amazing; she didn't get to see them enough. Hey, maybe Foaly could fix up a star simulator? And with that bizarre thought she fell into a deep sleep.

* * *

A/N: For once, I know exactly what I'm doing! Great huh? Well I guess this is second time round! Keep in mind; this is going to be totally different to Endurance Challenge. Got that?

Keep Smiling


	4. Chapter 4

Endurance 

Chapter Four

Disclaimer: Unfortunately for me (and my bank account!) I do not own Artemis Fowl, or any other characters, names etc. used in the book. Think twice before you sue me.

A/N: This chapter has taken me sooooooooo long to write! I kept rewriting it to make it better!

I met Eoin Colfer himself today, he was so cool! I got all my books signed and am in a very good mood!

* * *

Secret Above Ground Location, Endurance complex, Apartment Four

Holly was awoken by a gentle shake.

"Holly, get up!" Trouble stood over her.

Holly opened one eye and almost shut it again when she saw Trouble. How the hell could he look so composed so early in the morning?

"Short!" He took hold of her shoulders, "Get up!"

Holly opened her other eye and yawned. "Ok, Ok, I'm getting up. Keep your ears on." She sat up, blinking. "What time is it anyway?" She asked, as Trouble headed for the door.

"Time you got up. Get a move on, or you'll be late." He walked into the kitchen to fix something to eat, leaving Holly to make a face at the closed door.

Who does he think he is? She asked herself. Ordering me around like that, he's not even my superior. She hauled herself out of bed, stretching.

Trouble was slicing fruit in the kitchen. He checked his moonometer, "Short, are you up yet?" He called out, it would be just like her to go back to sleep.

"Uh huh." Was the typical unenthusiastic reply.

A minute later, the bedroom door was pulled open, and Holly walked out, fully dressed. "Where are the others?" She asked, flopping into a chair, as if the exhaustion from walking from her bedroom to the chair was just too much to cope with.

Trouble didn't look up from the chopping board, "Robert's in his room, Sapphire's in the shower. Now if you haven't got anything better to do, come and help me with the breakfast, instead of lounging around uselessly."

Holly rolled her eyes, giving him a mock salute. "Yessir."

* * *

The four of them sat around the dining table, eating fruit salad. Trouble put down his spoon. "Right, today the real training starts..."

Robert, Sapphire and Holly eyed each other.

"… Each group has been given a different challenge. Ours is a four day hike over the moors. We're spending three night's camping at various points on the course and have to take everything that's thrown our way, in our stride. So, when you've finished eating, I want you each to pack a rucksack with the bare essentials only. Got that?"

They got it.

They went to their rooms to pack. "Hey Holly, what sort of things do you think Trouble meant when he said we'd have to take them in our stride?" Sapphire asked, bending over her rucksack.

Holly shrugged; she too was bent over her bag, packing a range of clothing including a jacket for cold weather, a sweater, three T-shirts and two pairs of trousers. "I have no idea. Wrestling mountain lions maybe!" She grinned at Sapphire to let her know she was joking. "But you can bet your life it won't be easy." She couldn't have been more right.

* * *

Trouble was distributing various objects to the group.

"We have three tents," he looked at Holly and Sapphire, "I'm afraid you two will have to share, we don't want to have to carry any unnecessary items." They nodded, not really minding whether they shared or not.

"Several tin cooking pans," Trouble continued, "Enough food for four days, and a sleeping bag each."

They all had to carry their own sleeping bags in their bags, Sapphire, Robert and Holly took a tent each and food and water, while Trouble took the pans.

"Right, have we got everything?" Trouble double checked, as they stood outside the apartment. They nodded.

"Good, now let's get going. Robert, are you ok to navigate?" Navigation wasn't really needed in the LEP anymore, not since the stand issue helmets did everything for them, but it was still a pretty useful skill to know.

Robert nodded, taking the map and compass Trouble held out to him.

They heaved their bags onto their backs, and set off. Trouble and Robert striding ahead, Holly and Sapphire following behind.

* * *

"When we start moving again, Holly you can take a turn at navigating, just don't get us lost." Trouble passed the map and compass to the Captain.

Group four had stopped for lunch. It was a well-earned break as they'd been walking across rough terrain non-stop for three hours.

"How long before we stop to pitch camp?" Sapphire asked Trouble, propping herself up on her elbows.

Trouble peered over Holly's shoulder, examining the map. Holly shivered; his breath was tickling her neck.

"About two hours I think, and then we need to find somewhere suitable to stop for the night."

Sapphire nodded, "Cool."

Trouble stood up, "Right let's get going. The sooner we start, the sooner we stop."

* * *

"Take the next left, then follow the footpath until we get to open country." She paused, looking back at Trouble; "There's a wood we can camp in, if that meets your standards that is!" Holly joked.

Trouble nodded, "Sounds all right to me."

Holly led the way down a deserted country lane, then down a winding public footpath.

"Are you sure this is the right way?" Robert asked, doubtfully.

Holly stopped, turning around, "Have I ever been wrong yet?" She winked and carried on going. That didn't reassure Robert in the slightest.

When they reached the open moor land Trouble called everyone to a halt. He pointed to a wood not far from where they were standing. "Right, that's where we're going to camp for the night, it'll provide shelter if the heavens decide to open." He glanced upwards at the rapidly darkening sky, "And I think they probably will, so the quicker we pitch tents the better."

Holly breathed a sigh of relief as they reached the wood, although she'd never admit it, she was relieved that they'd found such a sheltered place to spend the night, and she was pleased that she could put down her bag.

Trouble had found a nice, large clearing in which to camp in. It was sheltered by the thick, overhanging canopy of the trees.

They put down the bags and unpacked the tents. Trouble set about getting them organised. "Right, organise the tents in a triangle, with all the entrances facing each other, but leave a large enough space for the fire." He pointed at Sapphire and Robert, "You two do the tents and the sleeping arrangements. Sapphire, you and Holly have the largest tent as you're sharing." He turned to Holly, "Short, you go and collect firewood, but don't be too long, ok?"

Holly nodded, "Uh huh."

"I'm going to start on making something to eat." Trouble finished.

The four of them got down to their jobs. Holly trudged out of the camp and through the trees. She could hear the rain starting to fall on the tree tops way above her. Trouble had been right, as usual.

She started gathering logs, weaving her way in and out of the trees, stepping over large tree roots, getting further and further away from base camp…

* * *

Sapphire flopped onto her sleeping bag. It'd taken longer than she'd thought putting up the tents. She was glad they'd finished so she could have a rest. It had started to rain, and although only a few droplets seeped through the tree top canopy, Sapphire imagined the downpour was pretty heavy, as it'd got dark all of a sudden.

* * *

Drops of rain splashed onto Holly, she groaned, it looked like she was going to get absolutely soaked. "D'Arvit!" She cursed under her breath, deciding she'd better turn back while it was still light.

After ten minutes of walking Holly stopped. She was convinced that she recognised a particular tree. Then it hit her; she'd been walking in circles for the last five minutes. What an idiot! She told herself. No wonder she'd been sent to redo her training. She walked on, this time taking a left instead of a right. It gradually got harder and harder to see as the rain got heavier, the evening got later and the sky grew darker. It was getting pretty hard to see where to go.

* * *

Trouble paused from his preparations. He checked his moonometer, Holly had been gone an hour. That was a pretty long time for someone who'd set out to collect firewood. "Have either of you two seen Holly?" He asked Robert and Sapphire, who'd come out of the tents to help Trouble.

They shook their heads, "Nope."

"Where the hell is she?" He asked. It wasn't like Holly to go wandering of by herself without telling anyone where she was going…

* * *

Holly was straining to see now; she kept stumbling over large tree roots. She pressed on, her determined nature getting the better of her. She would've kept going, but she tripped over a particularly large root, and sprawled headlong. She rolled down a small slope, grazing her arms on shards of rock, and then her head connected with a rock, causing immense pain and instant unconsciousness. So there she lay, completely alone in the middle of a rainstorm.

* * *

A/N: Ok Ok, bad end for the chapter I know. Please Please review! 


	5. Chapter 5

Endurance

Chapter Five

Disclaimer: I do not own Artemis Fowl. sighs I seem to have said that far too often…

A/N: Thanks to RaevanDawn for forcing me write faster!

* * *

Trouble checked his moonometer; he put down his knife. A flash of lightening lit up the sky just as called to the others; "I'm going to look for Holly."

Thunder rolled across the sky, almost drowning his words. Robert got to his feet, "I'm coming with you."

Trouble shook his head, "Nuh uh, you can't leave Sapphire here alone." He lowered his voice so Sapphire, who was collecting fallen logs on the other side of the tents, wouldn't be able to hear. "She's just a kid Robert, there's no way I'm prepared to leave her by herself."

Robert nodded, it made sense, "Ok, but you can't go by yourself, take her with you, in case, in case something awful has happened."

Trouble opened his mouth to protest, but Robert hadn't finished, "Look, I'm quite capable of looking after myself, isn't it Holly we should be worrying about?"

"Short can manage perfectly fine by herself, but we need the firewood. I doubt she'll even be grateful if we find her in some state of peril. She never is."

* * *

Trouble walked deeper and deeper into the woods, followed by Sapphire, who was getting more and more nervous after every clap of thunder.

The rain poured down, literally dampening their situation. Trouble panned his flash light, searching in the darkness.

"Can you see anything?" He called over his shoulder.

"Nope." Sapphire replied sullenly. She was drenched and was beginning to think that maybe this line of work wasn't for her after all.

"Ok, no worries. Keep looking."

They proceeded in silence, eyes peeled for any sign of the female captain. Then Sapphire stopped in her tracks. "Trouble," she muttered, but the rain must've prevented Trouble from hearing, as he kept on going. "Trouble!" She shouted.

He stopped, turning around, "Yes?"

Sapphire flicked a strand of hair from her eyes, she pointed at the ground, several roots had been disturbed, causing the ground and the fallen leaves to have been churned up and strewn out of place.

"It was probably just the weather." Trouble stated, but he'd lost the pixies attention. Sapphire had walked to a slope and was peering down. "Oh my god." She breathed, "Holly!"

Trouble was by her side in a flash, "SHORT!" He yelled, straining his eyes in the gloom and searching with the flash light. Then he saw her.

"Is she…" Sapphire didn't want to say it, "…dead?" She was hoping Trouble would say, "No of course not, she's fine, don't overreact."

But he didn't. He was already making his way down the slope, dodging rocks until he reached Holly's body, crumpled in a heap, soaked through, with a large cut in her leg, but unless his eyes were playing tricks, it looked like her chest was moving. He placed two fingers on her neck, struggling to find a pulse.

One second, two. The wait was agonising. There it was. He was certain. It was weak yes, but it was there.

"She's unconscious." He said, for Sapphire's sake. He knelt beside the Captain, pulling of his jacket, it was a lined waterproof so although the outside was wet, the inside was dry, and had been warmed by Trouble's body heat. He scooped her slim frame gently into his arms, cradling her to his chest to keep her warm. He had no idea how long she'd been there, but he knew it had been too long.

* * *

Robert was pacing the camp. He'd stocked the fire with they wood they'd managed to gather before the downpour, and it was getting pretty cosy. Only a few drops of rain had managed to seep through the tree canopy, so everything was still dry. It was like an oasis in the middle of the desert. He flopped down by the fire, getting ready for a long wait…

Sapphire had run ahead, so she'd reached camp before Trouble did. Robert looked at her as if she was crazy. "It's Holly." She gasped, "There's been an accident." That was all she had time to say before Trouble strode into the clearing, still carrying Holly. He set her down by the fire, to give her a chance to warm through.

He peeled up her trouser leg, placing his index finger on the rip in her skin. "Heal." He breathed, watching the blue sparks knit the gash together.

He looked at Sapphire, "Can you do me a favour?"

She nodded, "Sure."

"If I take Holly into your tent, do you think you could take her out of these wet clothes and put her into something warm and dry? I think she'd have a heart attack if she woke up to find me dressing her."

Sapphire grinned, "You're probably right. Ok, she's safe in my hands."

* * *

Trouble crouched next to the still unconscious form of Captain Short. Sapphire had done a great job and dressed her in the warmest clothes she could find, and she'd also wrapped her in a sleeping bag.

Trouble felt Holly's forehead. She was cold. Things were not good, but he wasn't going to let on to the others.

"Look, you two go and get some food, then have an early night ok? And wrap up warm, my magic cope with any more disasters, got that?" He paused, watching the pair exit the tent. Then a thought struck him, "There's been a change of plan. Instead of you sharing with Holly, Sapphire, take my tent, I need to be on hand to heal Holly if and when she needs it, ok?"

They nodded, closing the tent flap. When Trouble was alone with Holly, he gave her another shot of blue sparks. Nothing happened, no external reaction, no nothing. He sighed. "Holly," he whispered, "If you can hear me, I want you to know that you're going to be fine. Trust me." He knew that talking to people in comas could help relax them, so that's what he decided to do with Holly, although he fervently hoped she wasn't in a coma. "Holly, I know you can't stand me, for reasons I don't think I'll ever understand, but I just want you to know that I don't feel the same way about you. I respect you as an officer; you're loyal and moral…" He paused, unsure of how to put it, "Holly, I want you to get better, I don't just want you to get better, I need you to." He swallowed, half hoping she couldn't hear him, "Holly, I think you're an amazing person, and being utterly truthful here, you're also incredibly pretty, but please don't tell my brother I said that; I think he has a crush on you himself…" He was rambling, he knew that, but Holly flickered an eyelid.

"Holly?" He gripped her hand.

She opened her right eye, sighing softly. Her head was throbbing. She looked up at Trouble; this was the second time in as many days that she'd woken up to see him standing over her. Except this time he looked relieved, rather than annoyed.

"Can you let go of my hand?" She murmured.

Trouble dropped it like a red hot poker. "Sorry."

She opened her other eye, staring up at him, "My head," she groaned, "It's killing, what happened?" She tried to sit up, but Trouble pushed her down.

"I'm not too sure; there was an accident in the storm. Just lay still." He crawled into his own sleeping bag, he was exhausted.

Holly shivered. "It's so cold."

Trouble pulled her close, she tried to wriggle away, "Let me go!"

Trouble held her firm. "Share my body heat; you'll get warm this way."

Holly sighed again, "I am quite capable of looking after myself you know." But she didn't pull away, she was glad of his warmth.

"Of course you are. But just get some rest hmm?"

Holly shut her eyes, exhaustion washing over her. She breathed deeply, "Yeah yeah. Whatever you say." Her eyes closed and she was asleep in seconds.

Trouble listened to the sound of her steady breathing; he was so glad that she was alive. Then he realised that his arms were still wrapped around her. He didn't move them, partly because he didn't want to wake her, and partly because he just didn't want to. He felt as if just holding her slender frame in his arms was going to keep her from danger, it made him feel secure, and he hoped it made Holly feel the same.

* * *

A/N: Please review, gives a wide-eyed-puppy-dog-look I sacrificed 42 reviews by taking this down and re-writing it, so I would like more than 42 by the time this is finished. Please! 


	6. Chapter 6

Endurance

Chapter Six

Disclaimer: I do not own Artemis Fowl. I own the plot, and Sapphire and Robert. That's it.

A/N: I hope you like this. I'm sorry I've taken so long to update, although it might not look it, but this chapter was really hard to write. Again, there was going to be some romance, but I took it out; it just didn't fit. Sorry people but you'll just have to wait…

Thank you to EVERYONE who reviewed the last chapter, wishing me 42 reviews. I was so touched, it's untrue. I love you guys! Lol

* * *

Clearing, The middle of a wood

Sapphire was the first awake the next morning. She hurriedly dressed and thought she'd check on Holly, as her accident the previous day had really spooked the pixie. She padded across the damp grass to Holly and Trouble's tent, and whispered their names before opening the flap

"Holly, Trouble, can I come in?"

There was no reply so she stuck her head in anyway. The sight she saw shocked her slightly, after all, didn't Holly hate Trouble? Obviously not, seeing she'd fallen asleep in his arms. She looked at Trouble. His blond hair was tousled and his mouth was twitched upwards giving a hint of a smile.

Sapphire rolled her eyes; she'd seen it coming right from the start.

Trouble opened his eyes, not noticing Sapphire. He smiled at Holly who was still curled up in his arms. He'd meant it when he'd told her she was incredibly pretty, she was beautiful in a dangerous sort of way. But she really disliked him. Didn't she?

Sapphire slipped out silently, not wanting to alert either of them to her presence. She thought she'd relight the fire and cook them some breakfast.

* * *

Holly woke up about five minutes after Trouble had. She wasn't quite sure where she was. Then she remembered the Endurance thing, the hike, the storm, the accident… She felt happy to be alive, and very content. She shut her eyes briefly, and then a thought hit her, she felt really laid back but quite claustrophobic. What the hell was going on? She opened her eyes a second time and then it hit her, "Let go of me." She muttered, not really bothered if he listened or not. She kinda liked this feeling. What was thinking! Of course she didn't. It was just too early to think straight, that was it, and hitting her head the day before probably hadn't helped either. 

Trouble heard Holly muttering under her breath, "Let go of me."

He smiled, "I would, but you're lying on my arm."

* * *

The four of them were sitting around the fire, having finished their breakfast and not really been bothered to move. 

Trouble was examining Holly's cut, it looked like it was infected and although Holly was putting on a brave face, it seemed to be causing her quite a lot of discomfort.

He gave her another shot of blue sparks, although the magic was probably what had sealed the infection in Holly's system, as it had healed up her cut, but the infection had already spread. It was up to Holly's immune system to fight it. The magic would only act as a pain killer. "Holly, can you walk on it alright?"

She shrugged, "Haven't really tried."

Trouble stood up, reaching a hand down to her. She gripped it firmly, letting him help her get to her feet.

She stood shakily on both feet; things seemed to be ok, but the second she tried to walk pain shot through her right leg. Her face contorted in agony, she thought she was going to collapse, but Trouble grasped her round the waist, steadying her. He helped her sit down, "It's ok Holly, you don't have to put on a brave face, you're coping brilliantly."

Sapphire and Robert had so far been watching in silence, both privately glad that they weren't the ones in Holly's position, although Sapphire wouldn't have minded being the centre of Trouble's attention.

"He's right y'know Holly. If I was you I think I would've died!" Sapphire grinned at Holly from the other side of the fire. "In fact I almost died of shock when I saw you. I thought _you _were dead! It was SO scary." Her eyes were wide and she looked very comical.

Robert laughed, "I'm glad I wasn't there!"

Trouble wasn't listening to their conversation; he was trying to decide what to do. "We don't really have a choice, but to go back. It's too far to keep going, but it's gonna be pretty tough getting back." He looked at Holly, "No offence or anything Holly, I know you're a really strong person, but there's no way you'll be able to finish the hike, I'm not even really sure on how you're going to make it back to the complex."

Holly nodded, "None taken." She looked at Robert and Sapphire, "But I'm really sorry, I've totally messed up this week."

Sapphire could see that Trouble wanted to talk to Holly alone, so she faked a yawn, stretching, then she stood up, "I'm going to stretch my legs, anyone coming with me?" She looked meaningfully at Robert, he got the message.

"Yeah," He said nonchalantly, "I'll come with ya."

Holly watched them go.

Trouble looked into the fire, watching it crackle, "Holly," he said, turning to face her. She too was watching the fire, but her eyes flicked in his direction when she heard her name.

"Holly," He repeated, "I'm the one who should be sorry. It's my fault that you were out there. I shouldn't have sent you out alone, not in that weather."

Holly stared at him; Trouble Kelp had just admitted that he wasn't perfect! Wow! "What the hell are you on?" She asked, "You weren't to know that there was gonna be a storm, were you? It was my fault that I didn't keep my wits about me. I've been a real pain all this week, and I'm sorry, I guess I deserved all I got."

"Holly, it wasn't your fault. You didn't deserve anything. Now let's not bother about what should or shouldn't have been done. We need to get you back to the complex, and I certainly don't think you're up to walking there. There isn't much I can do, short of carrying you anyway."

Holly grinned, "Well…" She laughed at Trouble's face, "Sorry, as much as I know you'd love to carry me in your arms, it's not gonna happen!" She thought for a minute. "Hey, can you show me the map, the one we navigated by?"

Trouble nodded, "Sure." He stood up, and walked to the tent that he and Holly had shared.

Holly watched him go. She smiled to herself, he was unbelievably gorgeous… She regretted thinking that a split second later. This was Trouble Kelp. The LEP's biggest show off. Something was seriously wrong with her…

* * *

A/N: Please review, I'll update faster... 


	7. Chapter 7

Endurance

Chapter Seven

Disclaimer: I do not own Artemis Fowl, Holly Short or Trouble Kelp.

A/N: I know. I'm a lousy writer. I've neglected this fic, and this site. I'm truly sorry for that. I've had the worst case of writers block I've ever encountered, and was completely baffled by the future of this fic. I've also been snowed under with coursework, school stuff and some sucky real life issues, but that's no excuse. But here I am, 14 months later. Thanks for all the sweet reviews urging me to update, without them, I wouldn't have bothered. Also, please excuse the dodgy paragraphing in here, the ruler tool I usually use didn't seem to be doing it's job.

Clearing, the middle of a wood, unknown above ground location

Sapphire and Robert had returned to the clearing, after their walk, although Sapphire stopped in her tracks when she saw Holly and Trouble through the branches. Holly was practically sitting in his lap, examining the map, and Trouble was leaning over her.

Holly shivered; Trouble's breath was tickling her neck. "Are you okay?" He asked her, interpreting her shiver for a chill.

Holly nodded, she was fine. She contemplated telling Trouble his breath was making her shudder, but on the other hand, she didn't want him to move. It was strange, being this close to him made her feel safe. Possibly because Retrieval were supposedly the best of the best, and she was currently in a vulnerable state.

"Aww… don't you love a good splash of romance?" Sapphire grinned at Robert and indicated the pair in the clearing. Robert couldn't actually see what she was getting so worked up about, Holly was just looking at the map, and Trouble was reading over her shoulder. Where was the romance in that? He figured that girls must have some sort of six-sense to that kind of thing, or, more likely, an overactive imagination.

xXx

Trouble, Holly, Sapphire and Robert sat around the camp fire, looking defeated. Well, Sapphire and Robert looked defeated, but then, they hadn't been through the rigorous LEP training that Holly and Trouble had.

Holly's face was a picture of determination. She couldn't see what all the fuss was about; it was just a leg injury, nothing that serious. Typical Holly, she couldn't walk and would cheerfully make out it was just a splinter. Holly's face, however, didn't portray all the emotions swirling through her. She was in pain, her leg had a nasty infection apparently, and how Trouble could tell she hadn't the faintest idea, but she was willing to trust him, just this once. She was exhausted, everything seemed such an effort, and even breathing was laborious. She missed Haven, the comforts of home, Foaly and his gadgets, the surface didn't seem all it was cracked up to be. She was confused, unsure of her feelings towards Trouble. She knew he was good looking, but up until now, he'd been the enemy, the snob, someone who looked down on her. She knew her impressions had been wrong, and although she worked in the same field with him back in Haven, she didn't know much about him at all.

Trouble, on the other hand, was studying the map, trying to decide whether it was better to continue onwards, or return back the way they had come. By completing this course, they'd meet the requirements set and ensure a pass grade. Not that passing or failing mattered to Trouble, as he wasn't being graded, but he knew how much it mattered to the others, especially Holly, who spent so much time trying to prove herself. By returning, they failed. And Trouble Kelp wasn't a quitter. But it wasn't just about winning or losing anymore, not now he had Holly's physical ability to consider. The way they'd come had been relatively easy, several downhill stretches and one rock face to negotiate before they reached open moor land. But it'd be uphill on the return, and Holly could barely walk across camp, let alone climb a rock face. He glanced at Holly, who was gazing into the fire. She was being no help whatsoever, and kept insisting she was fine, when she blatantly wasn't. Trouble knew how proud Holly was, and how hard she'd had to work to get where she was. She'd learnt to conceal her feelings for the sake of her career, and Trouble respected that, but he wished she would tell him how she felt. Bottling up emotions wasn't good for anyone.

"Okay…" Trouble broke the silence that had been hanging over the group like a black cloud. "If Holly is sure she's up to it, we can continue on with the course." He sat back, to watch the groups reactions. All eyes were on Holly.

She made a face, "I told you, I can manage." She neglected to mention that all she wanted to do right now was crawl back into a tent and sleep off her headache.

Trouble dismissed her comment; it was what she'd been like all morning. He turned to Robert and Sapphire, "Even so, I'm going to need your help carrying the equipment, as Short can't even carry herself."

They nodded, "Sure."

Holly scowled. How dare Trouble undermine her like that? She shifted, uncomfortably, pain shooting through her right leg. All the same, maybe he was right…

Trouble continued, "Right, we're going to need everything condensed into three bags, two if possible."

Twenty minutes and a lot of struggling later, it became evident that this was not going to be possible. Sapphire was trying to cram as many of their belongings as possible into two of their rucksacks. A small pile of objects that were too big to fit into either of the bags was slowly building up at Sapphire's feet. "Trouble, it's no use, there's too much stuff, it's just not gonna fit." She gave up, sitting down heavily onto the bag, as if crushing the contents would help. She was sweating in the air saturated with the previous nights rain, and strands of her blonde hair stuck to her face.

"Hmmm," Trouble's brow was furrowed; he appeared to be considering the various possibilities. "Well, if you and Robert each take a bag, and then I can carry a bag as well as Holly… Okay, pack three bags."

Holly, who up until this moment, had been sulking, sitting on a fallen log, head in both hands. Her pointed ears priced up at Trouble's comment, "What?" Had her ears been deceiving her? She certainly hoped so.

He turned to face her, "Well you can't carry anything, I don't care what you say, I'm not letting you."

"Not that part." Holly interjected, shaking her head as if to emphasise her point. "I am not being carried by you. No, never." She couldn't bear to think about it, it was just so… wrong. She didn't need anyone's help, least of all Trouble's. He'd just brag about it to all the guys on his Retrieval team and she wouldn't hear the end of it.

Trouble shrugged, "Well then, you'll have to manage by yourself, won't you?" He resisted the temptation to add "Like you did in the forest last night." That was cruel. It was in Holly's nature to be stubborn and that was a quality, not something to knock her down for. He wanted to sit with her, to let Robert and Sapphire use their initiative. To talk to Holly. They'd been so physically close to each other this week and yet he hardly knew her. He didn't know, or understand what went on behind those hazel eyes. Maybe if he knew more about her, then he'd accept her fierce fighting attitude, the permanently on guard stance. But he couldn't, he couldn't forget the other members of the group; this was a challenge, not a social event. So he returned to helping Sapphire pack the rucksacks, while Robert dismantled the tents.

Holly felt like banging her head against a brick wall. She knew she should talk to someone, tell them how she felt, and for a fleeting second, she wished Trouble had taken a minute to sit beside her, so she talk to him, and explain why she was so defensive towards him, so independent. But he didn't, and even if he had, she wasn't sure she'd have told him anyway. After all, she hardly knew him.

Trouble felt awful leaving Holly there, but she was being awkward. They both knew how capable she was as an LEP operative, but she was injured. Accidents happen, responsibilities had to be compromised. She couldn't walk for a mere few minutes, let alone a few miles, until they'd found a suitable place in which to make shelter.

It was Robert who approached Holly, tentatively, as if she were an alligator, waiting to strike on the prey that dared near her. "Um Holly? Are you alright?"

Was she alright? What a stupid question. Still, he meant well. "I feel… like an extra." Holly struggled to put her emotions into words, "I can't do anything except sit here, it's frustrating."

Robert sat beside her, noticing the look she was shooting Trouble's way. All her good humour and mouthy remarks seemed to have evaporated. But he expected she was feeling pretty drained after the events of the night before. "He feels really bad you know."

Holly glanced at Robert, narrowing her eyes, "What do you mean?"

"Well, he feels responsible for you, seeing it was him that sent you out last night."

"He's got a funny way of showing it." Holly grumbled, sinking deeper into her bad mood, watching as Robert retreated, returning to the safety of Trouble and Sapphire.

xXx

"No. No. Not happening." Holly refused. If she could've stamped her foot, she would have done. So this was why they'd waited until the last possible second before telling her what they planned to do, because they knew she'd object.

Trouble ignored her, debating whether it would be easier and more comfortable for Holly if he carried her in his arms, or over his shoulder. He chose the shoulder option, if anything, it was less intimate, leaving the female Captain with less to take offence over, and proceeded to scoop her up as if she was weightless.

"D'Arvit Trouble!" She howled, more through shame than pain. "Put me down this minute!"

Robert and Sapphire tried not to pay attention to the fact Holly's face was scarlet, as it would only cause her more embarrassment.

Trouble indicated for Robert to go ahead, as he was navigating, and Sapphire to bring up the rear.

Holly muttered in Trouble's ear, "If you tell anyone back at HQ about this, I'll never forgive you!" She spat the words out, under her breath.

Trouble toyed with the idea of a witty retort, but decided against it. Angering Holly now would be like waving a red rag at an already charging bull.

Sapphire followed behind, looking at the pair of elves. They were so good together. Soul mates. Trouble was obviously infatuated with Holly, willing to carry her for miles. That wasn't just responsibility, the way he looked at her, and was so concerned for her well being, why couldn't Holly see that?

She caught Holly's eye and smiled, tracing a heart in the air with her finger tip.

Holly rolled her eyes and drew her finger across her throat in a slashing motion. No one could be in any doubt what that meant.

A/N: Chapter Eight is coming. I have it half written already. Not much romance yet, and for that I apologise, but all the stuff I wrote in was too rushed, too mushy. Please review. Did I waste my time continuing this? I sincerely hope not.

Love and Peace.


	8. Chapter 8

Endurance Chapter 8

Disclaimer: These characters and everything in the following chapter, besides the storyline, belong to Eoin Colfer.

A/N: Sorry. Another late update. Not as late as last time. Enjoy.

* * *

Trouble and Holly. The scene could almost be classified as romantic, if it wasn't for the death threats Holly had been cheerfully muttering under her breath for the entire duration of the journey.

The group had been walking for about four hours, covering approximately seven miles. The trek was hard going, even for Trouble, who – although fully trained, was carrying double the weight of Robert and Sapphire. It wasn't that Holly was heavy, but she refused to keep still, making it twice as awkward to carry her, than the inanimate rucksack. He kept his discomfort to himself, however, as the teams morale was low enough without his complaints to add to it.

Holly, on the other hand, wasn't too bothered about morale, which was most unlike her, but you could almost forgive her for this, as she'd been through rather a lot.

"Put me down!" She howled, her voice muffled by Trouble's shoulder, "Trouble!!! TROUBLE!!! Listen to me!"

Trouble ignored her. He should've felt guilty, but, truth be told, he felt like dropping her into the nearest shrub. He knew she was having a hard time, and her pride made it impossible to accept help from anyone, and she was suffering with her leg. But if she'd just open up to them, or just tell him how she felt, then things might be a little less tense. As it was, her whining wasn't helping. They were already behind schedule, and there wasn't more than an hour of daylight left.

"Please!! Trouble, please put me down!"

Pleading wasn't Holly's style and she sounded so pathetic, that Trouble had to comply. He set her down, so as not to jolt her leg.

Robert and Sapphire came to a halt, standing awkwardly, a safe distance from Holly and Trouble, not wanting to intrude, as they were unsure of how to deal with Holly's moods.

Trouble, however, was used to Holly's outbursts; her precarious temper had a reputation all of its own. "Did you want something?" He asked, raising an eyebrow.

Holly stood stiffly; balancing all her weight on her left foot, the right one barely touched the ground. Her breathing was heavy, not through exercise, as, much to her annoyance, she hadn't done any, but through effort and pain. "How...much…further?" She asked, between breaths.

Trouble looked at Robert, who in turn, looked at the map. "There's about three miles until the halfway marker."

"Three miles." Trouble confirmed to Holly, his voice devoid of any emotion.

She nodded, swaying ever so slightly, "Thank you."

Trouble automatically reached out, steadying her. There was no point asking her if she was alright, he'd only receive the customary "I'm fine!" in response. No, instead he examined his moonometer. Not much daylight left. Even if Holly was fine, which he doubted, they weren't going to get any fast once night fell.

"Okay, if it's alright with everyone, then we'll camp here tonight." No one objected; they were all privately glad of a rest. "Right," Trouble paused, surveying their environment. "Sapphire, could you and Robert pitch the tents?"

They nodded, dumbly. Tent duty was simple enough. It was all rather novelty to Sapphire, sleeping in tents and cooking around a campfire, like a child's game, not reality.

"And," said Holly, as the others set about their assigned chores, "What about me?" she asked Trouble, raising an eyebrow.

"You? Well you can just sit there looking pretty, can't you Holly?" And with that, he disappeared to lay the fire and prepare something to eat.

Holly stared after him, a bemused expression displayed upon her elfin features. What on earth was he talking about? She wasn't certain whether his words were compliments or insults. Insults probably. Although hitting a man when he's down, didn't seem to be Trouble's style. Rather, wait till the man recovers, then the impact's all the greater.

* * *

Night had fallen, and Team Four were recuperating around their camp fire, feeling full and exhausted but comfortable enough. The air was still, but cool, although, if it wasn't for the heat that the fire was releasing, it would've been almost cold. Trouble was recalling some of his retrieval missions for the entertainment of the others.

Holly listened intently; the things he'd been through were amazing! Almost unbelievable. Stories such as his, made her glad she was a Reconnaissance officer, not Retrieval.

Robert yawned, the combination of the exercise and the fresh air had worn him out, "All the walking is catching up with me, I'm going to bed, if no one minds." He got to his feet, rubbing his hands together to get the circulation going.

Trouble shook his head, Robert and Sapphire were doing really well, seeing as they weren't fully trained operatives like Holly and himself, it was no wonder they were tired. "Go ahead, make sure you get plenty of rest, tomorrow's going to be a long day."

Sapphire watched him leave, waiting a minute or two before she stood up. There was no way she intended to play gooseberry to Holly and Trouble. She didn't care what they said; they were clearly besotted with each other. She feigned a yawn, to make her exhaustion all the more convincing, "Me too, goodnight guys." And with that, she was gone, slipping inside her tent and leaving the LEP officers in peace.

"Was it something I said?" Holly remarked, referring to the pairs rapid disappearance.

Trouble laughed, "Probably! Do want a drink or something Holly?" He held up a bottle of mineral water, but she shook her head.

"No thanks."

He sat beside her, and they stared silently into the heart of the fire. The wind had increased, rustling the leaves in the treetop canopy high above them, sending leaves spiralling down to earth.

The atmosphere between the two elves was pleasant enough, even though they weren't making conversation, they seemed to appreciate each others company.

Eventually, exhaustion became too much for Holly, and after she'd yawned consecutively four times, Trouble suggested that perhaps getting some sleep wasn't a bad idea. He offered Holly his hand, helping her to her feet.

Holly nodded in thanks, steadying herself. Trouble rummaged through a rucksack, looking for another layer of protective clothing, he had a feeling it was going to be a cold night. Holly tried to join him, but her feet didn't seem to responding to the signals from her brain. She staggered, scuffing the toes of her walking boots in the dirt. Her eyes closed for a brief second, and she was falling…

"Holly!" Trouble reached out, letting her fall into his arms. She was limp with exhaustion, at least, he hoped it was exhaustion. He sprinkled a few drops of water from the bottle onto her forehead. "Holly!"

Her eyes flickered, vision blurred. "Tr-Trouble?"

"I'm here." He reassured her, "I've got you."

Great, Holly thought, now he's going to think I'm even more useless. However, it appeared this wasn't the case. "Holly, when was the last time you had something to eat?" He'd been too busy checking everyone had made it this far, before even considering whether they'd had enough nourishment.

"I'm…fine. Just…a bit…tired." She yawned.

Trouble was relieved, "Okay, are you sure you're going to be alright?" He helped her in the direction of her and Sapphire's tent.

Holly felt her face flush crimson, and silently hoped it was too dark for Trouble to notice. She'd forgotten that the previous night she'd fallen asleep in his arms. A rather pleasant experience, but one she did not care to repeat. Well, not yet, anyway. "Yes, I'll be fine. Unless I decide to go sleepwalking, then I might have a few problems!" She smirked, eyes sparkling in the firelight.

Trouble smiled, pulling back the tent flap, "More than a few!"

"And Trouble," Holly paused before entering the tent, lowering her voice so as not to wake Sapphire. "Thankyou."

Thanks for saving her life, thanks for carrying her all this way, thanks for caring.

"For everything." She could've elaborated, but it wasn't necessary, Trouble knew what she meant. She kissed him lightly on the cheek.

"Maybe I was wrong about you."

* * *

A/N: Cruel I know. 


End file.
